Rating: **(*)
Review Date: 3/15/25
Music By: Cheap Trick, Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop,
Earth, Wind & Fire
Fading rock star Mok Swagger wants to bring forth a demon from another dimension to destroy the world as punishment for his declining popularity. In order to do this, he needs to find the perfect voice to open a portal to the demon world. That voice belongs to a young woman named Angel, who is a member of a garage band that's trying to get discovered. When Mok kidnaps her and forces her to sing, it's up to her bandmates to rescue her and save the world from annihilation.
In many ways, it feels like a spiritual successor to "Heavy Metal" (1981) and the animation is gorgeous. Unfortunately, the character designs are a huge turn-off, which is what always kept me from picking it up at the video store whenever I'd see it. The characters all resemble dogs, cats, rats, pigs, and other animals, in a way that reminds me of Disney's Beagle Boys. The noses are especially problematic and just look like square dots on the characters' elongated snouts. The film's distributor, MGM, was also concerned by their appearance and added a pointless and ineffective prologue attempting to explain why everyone looked like animals. Appearances aside, the characters also fail to be likeable or endearing in any way. Angel is the only relatable character, but she spends the entire film playing the damsel in distress. The band's lead singer/guitarist, Omar, is the "hero" of the show, but he's an egotistical toxic asshole, much like the villain is. So the combination of bad dialog, a weak story, awkward humor, and unattractive and unlikable characters makes the film a bit of a cringe-fest.
Since it's a rock 'n' roll fantasy, music plays a critical role in the story. Omar is a rocker in the Cheap Trick vein while Angel is more into new wave like Blondie, which leads to creative clashes between them. Mok is like an evil rock 'n' roll sorcerer, and his music is performed by Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. The most unusual addition to the soundtrack is a disco tune by Earth, Wind & Fire, which also happens to be the best song in the movie.
Due to its adult themes and spicy imagery, the film didn't receive any marketing or promotion from MGM and was a huge commercial failure. Like many obscure films of the era, it found a second life on VHS at video rental stores and on late-night cable television. While the state of the art animation is stunningly beautiful, the story and characters drag it down and can make it a challenging film to watch and enjoy.